Duterte was inaugurated as the
sixteenth president of the Philippines on June 30, 2016, succeeding
Benigno Aquino III. At age 71, Duterte became the oldest person elected to the
presidency, the first local chief executive to get elected straight to the Office of the President, the second
Cebuano president (after
Sergio Osmeña), and the first
Visayan president from
Mindanao.
Early actions at
Malacañang Palace on inauguration day, June 30, 2016 Shortly after his inauguration, Duterte held his first Cabinet meeting to lay out their first agenda, which included the country's
disaster risk reduction management, decongesting
Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila; he also expressed his ideas and concerns regarding the
territorial disputes in the South China Sea prior to the announcement of the verdict of the
Philippines' arbitration case against China over the issue, which the Philippines later won. On July 4, he issued his first
executive order, allowing his
Cabinet Secretary to supervise over several agencies that focus on
poverty reduction. He called for the reimposition of
capital punishment in the country to execute criminals involved in "heinous" crimes, such as
illegal drug trade, insisting on
hanging. During his first 100 days in office, Duterte issued an
executive order on freedom of information, launched an intensified
campaign against illegal drugs, sought to resume peace talks with
communist insurgents, formulated a comprehensive tax reform plan, led efforts to pass the
Bangsamoro Basic Law, made efforts to streamline government transactions, launched the nationwide
9–1–1 rescue and
8888 complaint hotlines, established a one-stop service center for
overseas Filipino workers, and increased in the combat and incentive pay of soldiers and police personnel. Duterte made moves to limit
US visiting troops in the country, and has reached out to China and Russia to improve relations. He launched tirades against international critics, particularly, United States President
Barack Obama, the US government, the
United Nations, and the
European Union, which expressed condemnation to his unprecedented war on drugs that led to the deaths of about 3,300 people, half of which were killed by unknown assailants, and the arrest of 22,000 drug suspects and surrender of about 731,000 people. as the 16th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2016. Following the
September 2 bombing in Davao City that killed 14 people in the city's central business district, on September 3 Duterte declared a "state of lawlessness", and on the following day issued
Proclamation No. 55 to officially declare a "
state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao". On December 7, Duterte signed
Executive Order No. 10 creating a consultative committee to review the 1987
Constitution of the Philippines. Duterte adjusted to working and residing at the
Malacañang Palace by dividing his workweek between Manila and Davao City, spending three days in each city and utilizing the
Malacañang of the South while in Davao. A
Pulse Asia survey conducted from July 2–8 showed that Duterte had a trust rating of 91%, the highest of the six presidents since the
Marcos dictatorship. In December 2016, Duterte was ranked 70th on
Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People.
Domestic policy Economic policy Duterte's socioeconomic policies, referred to as
DuterteNomics, include tax reform, infrastructure development, social protection programs, and other policies to promote economic growth and human development in the country.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has said that the government required what he describes as an "audacious" economic strategy in order for the Philippines to "catch up with its more vibrant neighbors" by 2022 and help it achieve
high-income economy status within a generation. The term
DuterteNomics was coined to describe the economic policy of the Duterte administration. Duterte initiated liberal economic reforms to attract foreign investors. In March 2022, he signed Republic Act No. 11647 which amended the Foreign Investment Act of 1991, effectively relaxing restrictions on foreign investments by allowing foreigners to invest in a local enterprise up to 100% of its capital. He signed Republic Act No. 11659, amending the 85-year-old Public Service Act, allowing full foreign ownership of public services, which include airports, expressways, railways, telecommunications, and shipping industries, in the country. Duterte reformed the country's tax system in an effort to make the country's tax system fairer, simpler, and more efficient. In December 2017, he signed
Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (TRAIN Law) which excludes those earning an annual taxable income of 250,000 and below from paying the personal income tax, while raising higher
excise taxes on vehicles, sugar-sweetened beverages, petroleum products, tobacco and other non-essential goods. Revenues collected from the TRAIN law will help fund the administration's massive
infrastructure program. In March 2021, to attract more investments and maintain fiscal stability, Duterte signed the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, reducing the 30 percent
corporate income tax rate to 25 percent for firms with assets above and to 20 percent for smaller firms. Duterte raised
sin taxes on tobacco and vapor products in July 2019, and alcohol beverages and
electronic cigarettes in January 2020, to fund the Universal Health Care Act and reduce incidence of deaths and diseases associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. Duterte's tax reform program has garnered both support and criticism. Critics have argued that the administration's tax policy would burden the poor. The implementation of the TRAIN Law triggered protests from various left-wing groups. On January 15, 2018, protesters gathered at various public market sites, calling for the revocation of TRAIN. However, proponents of the program cite its appeal to foreign investors and economic benefits as the main reasons behind tax reform.
Infrastructure development of the
New Clark City sports complex, completed on October 12, 2019, 50 days before the opening of the
2019 Southeast Asian Games To reduce poverty, encourage economic growth, and reduce congestion in
Metro Manila, the Duterte administration launched its comprehensive infrastructure program,
Build, Build, Build, on April 18, 2017. The program, which forms part of
the administration's socioeconomic policy, The administration, in 2017, shifted its infrastructure funding policy from
public-private partnerships (PPPs) of previous administrations to government revenues and
official development assistance (ODA), particularly from Japan and China, but has since October 2019 engaged with the private sector for additional funding. The administration revised its list of Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) under the Build, Build, Build program from 75 to 100 in November 2019, then to 104, and finally, to 112 in 2020, expanding its scope to include health, information and communications technology, and water infrastructure projects to support the country's economic growth and recovery from the
COVID-19 pandemic. Some major projects include the
North–South Commuter Railway from
New Clark City to
Calamba, Laguna, the expansion of
Clark International Airport and the
Luzon Spine Expressway Network By April 2022, 12 IFPs have been completed by the administration, while 88 IFPs, which were on their "advanced stage", have been passed on to the succeeding administration for completion.
War on drugs inspects a seized
shabu laboratory in
Arayat, Pampanga on September 27, 2016. Duterte placed the
Philippines' illegal drugs problem at the forefront of his presidential campaign, warning the Philippines was at risk of becoming a
narco-state. Upon entering office, Duterte began a nationwide crackdown against illegal drugs. At the forefront of the campaign's operations was
Oplan Tokhang, which involved policemen knocking on the doors of suspected drug users and inviting them to surrender. Some described the anti-drug campaign as a form of
genocide against drug users, in part due to Duterte's early comparison of himself to
Adolf Hitler. Among Duterte's early actions included naming three Chinese nationals as alleged
drug lords in the Philippines, calling for assistance from the
New Peoples Army to join the crackdown, and
publicly naming 150 public officials allegedly involved in the drug trade. Concerns arose worldwide due to the rising death toll during police operations, and drug suspects reportedly fighting back ("") was a common alibi of several policemen involved. At the height of the drug crackdown in his early presidency, Duterte urged the policemen to kill drug addicts, promising to pardon them for performing their duties; Duterte's call prompted thousands to surrender, In August 2016, opposition Senator
Leila de Lima launched a probe into
extrajudicial killings, focusing on cases that took place during Duterte's tenure as mayor of Davao City. De Lima presented as witness an alleged member of Davao City-based vigilante group
Davao Death Squad,
Edgar Matobato, who testified that Duterte was involved in extrajudicial killings in the city. Duterte dismissed the claims as a lie, and the Senate probe was terminated on October 13, 2016, for lack of evidence. Shortly after, Duterte implicated De Lima in the illegal drug trade during her tenure as Justice Secretary under the Aquino III administration. Though De Lima denied the claims, she was later imprisoned in February 2017 due to the
drug charges. Two months later, Matobato's lawyer, Jude Josue Sabio, filed charges for
crimes against humanity with the
International Criminal Court against Duterte and 11 other officials. Responding to public clamor, in October 2017, Duterte designated the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to lead anti-drug operations and temporarily barred the police from joining the raids. Through an executive order he issued in October 2018, Duterte instituted a more balanced approach to the drug problem by establishing the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy, which ordered all government departments and
state universities and colleges to implement their own strategies in tackling the country's illegal drug trade; the order also urged local government units, non-government organizations, and private institutions to support and implement the Strategy. gather in front of the Philippine Consulate General in
New York City on October 11, 2016. Duterte campaigned to eliminate illegal drugs in the country within three to six months, but later acknowledged he miscalculated the severity of the problem as he based his approach to that of
Davao City during his tenure as the city's mayor. Stating it would take him his entire term to eradicate it, he cited the difficulty in border control due to the country's fragmented geography and lamented that several government officials and law enforcers were involved in drug trafficking. Before leaving office, he implored president-elect
Bongbong Marcos to continue tackling the illegal drug problem, but declined an appointment offer as Marcos'
drug czar, expressing a desire to retire. By the end of Duterte's term, the number of drug suspects killed since Duterte took office was officially tallied by the government as 6,252; human rights groups, however, claim drug casualties reached as high as 12,000 to 30,000. Various international publications and media companies had claimed that Duterte's anti-drugs campaign was a war against the poor due to the abject poverty of those arrested or killed. On June 19, 2018, 38
United Nations member states released a collective statement through the
United Nations Human Rights Council, calling on the Philippines and Duterte to end the killings in the war on drugs and cooperate in investigating human rights abuses. Though many human rights note that Duterte's war on drugs was a stain on his legacy, the anti-narcotics drive received domestic approval during his term, and 58% of the country's barangays were declared by the government cleared of illegal drugs by February 2022.
International Criminal Court In April 2017, a case was filed by lawyer Jude Sabio before the
International Criminal Court (ICC), charging Duterte and 11 other officials with
crimes against humanity in relation to the deaths of the controversial war on drugs; in response, outgoing ICC chief prosecutor
Fatou Bensouda in early 2018 launched a preliminary examination into the charges against the accused. This prompted Duterte in March 2018 to initiate the withdrawal of the Philippines from the ICC, which took effect a year later, on March 17, 2019. Duterte rebuked the idea of allowing foreigners to meddle in the country's justice system and his administration emphasized that cases against him should be filed before the national courts. For its part, the ICC reiterated that it maintains jurisdiction over crimes which took place before the withdrawal. The ICC rejected Sabio's request and asserted that it "cannot effectively destroy or return information once it is in its possession or control". Meanwhile, Duterte's ICC withdrawal was challenged before the
Supreme Court by three petitions filed by the Philippine Coalition for the ICC, the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and opposition senators; though the Court in March 2021 ultimately dismissed all three cases on the grounds that the petitioners were unable to establish legal standing to challenge the ICC withdrawal, the Court ruled that the President has no "unbridled authority" to withdraw from treaties. The ICC, on September 16, 2021, eventually authorized a formal investigation into the war on drugs in the Philippines, focusing on crimes committed between 2016 and March 2019. In response, the Philippine government in November 2021 requested a deferral of the probe, which was suspended by the ICC to assess the request. Four days before Duterte left office, however, ICC prosecutor
Karim Ahmad Khan requested the pre-trial chamber of the ICC to immediately resume the investigation after concluding that the deferral request was "not warranted". The succeeding Marcos administration initially declined to allow any ICC probe in the country due to sovereignty issues; however, due to tensions between the Duterte and Marcos political families, the Marcos administration is seen as increasingly open to cooperating with the ICC.
Mindanao insurgency to the
MILF at
Malacañang Palace on August 6, 2018 Duterte has said that Moro dignity is what the MILF and MNLF are struggling for, and that they are not terrorists. He acknowledged that the Moros were subjected to wrongdoing, historical and in territory. Duterte was endorsed in the election by
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari due to his background in Mindanao. Other Muslims also supported Duterte and denounced Roxas, the Aquino-supported pick. On November 6, 2016, Duterte signed an executive order to expand the
Bangsamoro Transition Commission to 21 members from 15, in which 11 will be decided by the MILF and 10 will be nominated by the government. The commission was formed in December 2013 and is tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law in accordance with the
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Duterte signed the
Bangsamoro Organic Law on July 26, 2018, which abolished the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and provided for the basic structure of government for the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, following the agreements set forth in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014. Duterte signed proclamations granting
amnesty to members of the
Moro National Liberation Front, and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front in February 2021. However, Duterte's predecessor, President Aquino III, dismissed the perpetrators of a March 2016 armed attack against the military as mere "mercenaries" wanting to join the ISIS. The earliest terrorist attacks in Duterte's presidency occurred in
September 2016 in
Davao City;
November 2016 in
Butig, Lanao del Sur; and in
April to May 2017 in
Inabanga, Bohol, where the
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) attempted to establish a position in the Visayas. Though the military eventually quelled the sieges, the events were only a prelude to what would become Duterte's greatest challenge in combating terrorism. On May 23, 2017, Duterte was in his first state visit to Russia, where he met Russian president
Vladimir Putin to realign the Philippines's foreign policy away from the United States; among his top priorities in the trip included the acquisition of Russian-made munitions to use against Islamic militants in restive Mindanao. At that time, the Philippine military was in an operation to capture ASG leader
Isnilon Hapilon. Duterte cut short his trip and flew back to the Philippines after the
Maute Group, which pledged allegiance to the ISIS,
occupied the city of
Marawi in
Lanao del Sur. Upon returning, Duterte
declared Martial law across Mindanao and ordered a major offensive on the city to retake it. The battle, which lasted for five months, became the country's longest urban warfare; the city, particularly the downtown area, was left in ruins, largely due to militant fire and military airstrikes, necessitating
rehabilitation. Hapilon and
Omar Maute were eventually killed, and on October 17, Duterte declared the city liberated from terrorist influence. The moves drew criticism, particularly from rights groups, who claimed that the extensions were part of a campaign on stifling dissent. By the end of 2019, martial law in Mindanao lapsed, after which Duterte decided not to have it extended. In July 2020, Duterte signed the
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which expanded the powers of the government to address the country's growing security challenges. In its enactment, the law repealed the
Human Security Act of 2007, which was described by the 2020 law's proponents as weak and inadequate. However, the 2020 law received intense criticism, notably from the academia and rights groups, for allegedly being prone to abuse; a total of 37 petitions were filed by several groups asking the Supreme Court to have the law nullified, the Court ultimately upheld the validity of the law in December 2021, but struck two of the law's provisions. As Duterte's term approached its end, the military intensified its efforts against Islamic terrorists, which continued to carry a series of attacks in Mindanao and Sulu; notable among these attacks involved suicide bombing, a tactic not commonly used by Filipino terrorists. Additionally, he expanded his administration's reintegration program to include former
violent extremists.
Communist insurgency Duterte described himself as left-leaning during his presidential campaign. As he initially had good relations with the left, he received campaign support from leftist groups, particularly in Mindanao. Duterte was a student of
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder
Jose Maria Sison at
Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Sison stated during the election campaign that Duterte was "the best President the Philippines can have since Marcos". Upon Duterte's election into office, prospects of restarting peace talks between the Philippine government and the CPP-
NPA-
NDF, which stalled in 2011, gained momentum. In addition, Duterte offered positions for left-leaning activists in his administration, notably in four executive departments:
Agrarian Reform,
Environment and Natural Resources,
Social Welfare and Development, and
Labor and Employment. Duterte declined. Additionally, several leftists appointed by Duterte were rejected by the
Commission on Appointments, while others resigned or were fired by Duterte amidst the tense relations. Compounding these were the continued clashes between the military and the NPA and the alternate declaration and lifting of ceasefire amid the ongoing peace talks; at the
Malacañang Palace on April 15, 2019. On February 6, 2017, Duterte, citing continued attacks by the NPA on the military, formally terminated peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, designated them as a
terrorist organization and ordered the arrest of all NDF negotiators. Through an executive order he issued in December 2018, Duterte established the
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), an inter-agency body that involved a
whole-of-nation approach—from the national to local level— in addressing the root causes of communism. The NTF-ELCAC worked in close coordination with the military and focused on developing far-flung localities infiltrated by the NPA. Duterte also granted amnesty to former communist rebels and launched reintegration programs to support them and their families. Ultimately, in March 2019, he permanently terminated peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, facilitating localized peace talks with the rebels. Duterte left office with the number of NPA
guerrilla fronts in the country reduced from 89 to 23, and about 20,579 communist rebels reportedly surrendered from 2016 to 2021. Despite its success in reducing communist insurgency in the country, Duterte also received criticism after he threatened to order the military in mid-2017 to bomb
Lumad schools, which he and the military suspected to shelter rebels and teach subversion. Additionally, the military and the NTF-ELCAC were denounced after they cited clandestine recruitment activities by the communist rebels within university campuses nationwide, notably in both state-run
University of the Philippines and
Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Several human rights organizations called on the succeeding
Bongbong Marcos administration to abolish the NTF-ELCAC due to continued red-tagging allegations; the calls, however, were rejected by Marcos.
COVID-19 pandemic When news about the novel coronavirus (
COVID-19) spread around the world, Duterte initially understated the threat of the disease and urged the public to refrain from inciting
anti-Chinese sentiment, which at that time saw a global rise. The first reported COVID-19 case in the Philippines was on January 30, 2020, prompting Duterte to issue bans on the entry of Chinese nationals from China and calling for calm. Duterte changed his tune in March, during which he placed the Philippines under a State of National Calamity and ordered
a lockdown in Luzon. His administration opted to use what it described as "draconian measures" to control the contagion, and Duterte employed the military and police to enforce the public's strict adherence to quarantine and health protocols. As countries were scrambling in securing COVID-19 vaccines for their own citizens, Duterte called for patience amid criticism. Additionally, Duterte personally requested vaccines from world leaders, notably Chinese president
Xi Jinping and Russian President
Vladimir Putin. China and Russia responded favorably, and the Duterte administration started
its vaccination program on March 1, 2021, a day after receiving 600,000
CoronaVac vaccines sent by the Chinese government. Duterte also used the
US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement as leverage in securing vaccines from the United States, threatening to scrap the military pact. In addition, in an apparent effort to help the Philippines gain access to US-developed vaccines, Duterte granted absolute pardon to US soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was serving prison for
killing transgender Jennifer Laude in 2014. -developed COVID-19 vaccine vial following a ceremonial turnover in
Pasay City on March 4, 2021. At the height of the pandemic in mid-2021, the Philippines was a COVID-19 hotspot in Asia;
vaccine hesitancy was a problem, and many citizens opted to wait for Western vaccines to arrive. In exasperation, Duterte urged the public to undergo vaccination, threatening to arrest unvaccinated individuals and order local leaders to compile a list of defiant residents. In May 2021, to encourage the public that vaccines were safe, Duterte—acting on the advice of his doctor—publicly took the
Sinopharm BIBP vaccine before it was approved for use by the Philippine
Food and Drug Administration; his move, however, drew criticism since the general public had access to CoronaVac vaccines, which the public majority perceived to have lower efficacy. The backlash prompted Duterte to apologize, acknowledge the possibility of the Sinopharm vaccine's multiple side effects, and decide to pull out the vaccines. The public's prejudice against China's CoronaVac was later revealed in a
Reuters 2024 report as the outcome of
a US government-launched covert propaganda and disinformation campaign that aimed to erode the public's trust in China-developed vaccines. Duterte gradually relaxed quarantine restrictions to revive the economy. Upon leaving office, Duterte's administration secured 245 million vaccine doses; about 70.5 million individuals had been fully vaccinated. Over 3.7 million COVID-19 cases were recorded since the onset of the pandemic, 3.69 million people had recovered from the disease, while 8,706 active cases remained. Though his administration successfully reached its target of vaccinating 70% of the Philippine population, Duterte, along with Health Secretary
Francisco Duque III, was implicated in
a scandal involving allegedly overpriced medical supplies and equipment. Critics highlighted that Duterte's administration purchased pandemic supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical, a company linked to Duterte's former economic adviser, Michael Yang. Duterte rejected the corruption allegations and emphasized that the supplies at the time of purchase were in high demand, hence, the high prices. A Senate probe, headed by
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman
Richard Gordon, was initiated in August 2021 for alleged irregularities in the use of COVID-19 response funds amounting to 67 billion. A month before Duterte left office, Gordon released a draft report on the probe, which claimed that Duterte "betrayed public trust" for appointing Yang as economic adviser in 2018, prohibited his Cabinet and other officials from attending the hearings, and allegedly discredited the Senate and
Commission on Audit. The report, however, failed to reach the Senate
plenary for deliberation after it was signed by nine senators out of the 11 required signatures.
Energy and climate The Duterte administration initially adopted a "technology neutral" policy in energy generation. Earlier in his term, Duterte stressed that
coal remains the most viable source of energy if the Philippines is to accelerate industrialization, and questioned the
sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union on smaller countries including the Philippines when the country's
carbon footprint is not significant compared to the superpowers. The administration shifted its energy policy to prefer
renewable sources of energy later in Duterte's term. At his fourth
State of the Nation address in July 2019, Duterte issued an order to cut coal dependence and hasten a transition to
renewable energy. In October 2020, the
energy department issued a
moratorium on the construction of new
coal power plants and favored renewable energy sources. On February 28, 2022, Duterte issued an executive order approving the inclusion of
nuclear power in the country's energy mix. To hasten the expansion of the nation's power capacity, Duterte established the inter-agency Energy Investment Coordinating Council tasked with simplifying and streamlining the approval process of big-ticket projects. The administration made initiatives to liberalize the energy sector, allowing 100% foreign ownership in large-scale
geothermal projects starting October 2020. Duterte signed the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change in March 2017, after initially having misgivings about the deal which he says might limit the country's industrialization. The Agreement was ratified by the
Senate on March 15, 2017. Duterte said that rich countries producing the most
carbon emissions must pay smaller countries for damage caused by
climate change.
Government streamlining in
Davao City on July 24, 2016. Duterte introduced reforms to eliminate
red tape in the government, and ordered government agencies to remove all processes which are "redundant or burdensome" to the public. Three weeks after assuming office, he issued his second executive order establishing
Freedom of Information, allowing citizens to obtain documents and records from public offices under the
executive branch to promote transparency in the government. In May 2018, Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business Act which aims to create a better business environment by reducing processing time, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and eliminating corrupt practices in all government agencies. In December 2020, he enacted a law authorizing the President to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses, and certifications, by suspending its requirements, in times of
national emergency. Duterte institutionalized the
8888 Citizens' Complaint Hotline in October 2016, allowing the public to report complaints on poor government front-line services and corrupt practices in all government agencies.
Health care Duterte vowed to improve the
health care system, certifying the Universal Healthcare Bill as an urgent measure as early as July 2018. In February 2019, he signed the Universal Health Care Act, which automatically enrolls all Filipinos under the
government's health insurance program. He also enacted the National Integrated Cancer Control Act which establishes a "national integrated" program to control and prevent
cancer by making treatment more accessible and affordable, and the Philippine Mental Health Law, which provides free
mental health services down to the
barangay level while requiring hospitals to provide psychiatric, psychosocial and neurologic services. In December 2019, Duterte signed a law institutionalizing
Malasakit Centers in all hospitals run by the
Department of Health, allowing indigent patients to efficiently access financial medical assistance from various government agencies. Duterte ordered the full implementation of the
Reproductive Health Law,
banned smoking in public places nationwide, and set a
price cap on select medicines.
Education Duterte signed the
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act in August 2017, providing free college education in all
state universities and colleges nationwide. He signed a law establishing
transnational higher education in the country, allowing foreign universities to offer degree programs in the Philippines in an effort to bring international quality standards and expertise into the country. He also signed medical
scholarships for deserving students in state universities and colleges or partner private higher education institutions through the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act on December 23, 2020. Duterte approved in January 2021 a law institutionalizing the
alternative learning system (ALS), providing free education to those out of school. In March 2022, he enacted a law granting inclusive education for learners with
disabilities. On June 9, 2020, Duterte signed a law establishing the country's first
National Academy of Sports in
New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.
Foreign policy in
Moscow, May 2017 in
Pasay, November 2017 The Duterte administration has vowed to pursue what it describes as an "independent foreign policy" that would reject any meddling by foreign governments, reiterating
Article II, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution which states: "The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be national
sovereignty,
territorial integrity,
national interest, and the right to
self-determination." In September 2016, Duterte said: "We will observe and must insist on the time-honored principle of sovereignty, sovereign equality, non-interference and the commitment of peaceful settlements of dispute that will serve our people and protect the interests of our country." Duterte pursued improved relations with
China and
Russia, and lessened the country's dependence on its traditional ally – the
United States. He has adopted a cautious, pragmatic, and conciliatory stance towards China compared to his predecessor, and has set aside the
previous administration's confrontational policy of asserting the Philippines'
claims over the
South China Sea and its islands. Militant groups decry the ties between President Duterte and China over the Chinese occupation of contested waters and the reported harassment of the fishermen amidst the
territorial disputes in the
South China Sea. Also, while the United States is one of the countries critical to Philippine drug war campaign, most of the militant groups – particularly left-wing groups – also criticize Philippine-US relations due to the United States' "
imperialism" and
neoliberal policies.
Administration and cabinet 2022 Philippine presidential election , who filed his certificate of candidacy for vice president on October 2, 2021. Initially stating that he "sees nobody deserving" to replace him as the next president, Duterte in August 2021 announced he would run for vice president in the upcoming
2022 national elections, drawing suspicions from critics that he would extend his term. Duterte's political party, the PDP–Laban Cusi faction, named its
standard bearer: former
Philippine National Police chief and Senator
Ronald dela Rosa, who was widely suspected to be a placeholder for Duterte's daughter, Davao City mayor
Sara. Duterte later withdrew his candidacy, announced his retirement from politics, and had his long-time aide, Senator
Bong Go, substitute him. Despite polls showing she was the preferred candidate for presidency, Sara decided to settle for the vice presidential race. Sara's move had Duterte dismayed and he initially retracted his planned retirement, announcing he would run for vice president. Ultimately, he decided not to face his daughter, endorsed a Go–Sara tandem, and declared his intent on running as Senator. However, Sara decided
to run in tandem with
Bongbong Marcos, who announced his presidential candidacy. Stating his heart and mind contradicted his actions, Go later withdrew his presidential candidacy; shortly after, Duterte officially withdrew his senate bid. as a
cocaine user and "very weak leader". Due to his high popularity, Duterte remained influential before the national elections as several presidential candidates were open to his endorsement. As the Cusi faction was left without a standard bearer following Go's withdrawal, allies of Duterte endorsed different candidates. The Cusi faction eventually endorsed presidential candidate Marcos and some officials called for Duterte to do the same. Stressing he would remain neutral, Duterte refused to heed their calls and insisted on endorsing only Sara as vice president and 17 senatorial candidates. Additionally, in an effort to protect their integrity, Duterte barred his Cabinet members from campaigning for any candidate. Despite non-endorsement, Duterte hinted on the next president's preferred qualities: decisive, compassionate, a good judge of a person, and preferably, a lawyer; In March 2022, Go said Duterte briefly met with Marcos and gave him advice on the presidency, but could not say whether Duterte gave Marcos an endorsement. Several analysts believe Duterte had his popularity "inherited" by Marcos and Sara, who both won
landslides in the election.
Impeachment efforts ==Post-presidency (2022–present)==